Jim Magilton: 'They say teams reflect the manager - but if that's me then I'm in a f*cking dark place'

Andrew Dempsey reports from Dalymount Park

Dundalk’s interim first-team boss Jim Magilton shouldered some of the blame – but also blasted his side – after their humiliating 5-1 defeat away to Bohemians at Dalymount Park.

The Lilywhites were torn asunder by a potent Bohemians side who profited on some porous defensive play from the FAI Cup holders.

“It was a bright opening,” Magilton said after the game. “What was it? Five minutes? And then it was a house of cards.

“We were second best, they just picked up so many second balls and we looked leggy. We got a lesson in the basics of the game and that’s not acceptable.

“You can’t reach the standard and quality of the other night and produce that. But that’s not accidental, it’s where we are at the minute.”

Asked if the character of his side was to blame, the former Queen’s Park Rangers boss said: “It has to be, and it asks a lot of questions.

“Bohemians didn’t do anything different to what we spoke about with the lads before the game, and we felt we had enough in us.

“Maybe it was my fault, putting so much effort in (on Friday), picking the same team. But I wanted consistency, and consistency in selection, but we just didn’t have it.

“We didn’t have the legs and lacked the same sort of urgency and as a result we got punished badly.

“Fair play to Bohs, but the goals we conceded were so cheap – and that asks so many more questions of us again.”

Since taking charge of Dundalk on an interim basis, Magilton has helped his charges pick up 12 points from a possible 24 on offer since the departure of Filippo Giovagnoli and Shane Keegan.

Following the defeat against Bohemians, they find themselves in 7^th position with a lowly 14 points from 13 games.

“It gives me another unbelievable opportunity to see the character of the players – and things have got to change,” he said.

“I’m responsible – standing out in front of you guys. But once you cross the white line, I never ever stood behind the manager.

“If I was crap (as a player), I was crap – and I’d say that, I’d never go hiding behind a manager. But I thought we were second best all over the park this evening.”  

Next up for Dundalk is a trip to Richmond Park to take on a resurgent St Patrick’s Athletic.

They head back to the capital to take on a Saints side who have lost just once at home this season – and are comfortably in the European positions, a far cry from where Dundalk are at the moment.

“They need to lift us,” Magilton said. “The players need to lift us.

“They have shown they are capable – and you would think that they have reached the levels. But we got spanked today.

“We have to come out and present ourselves against a really good team. You need to have good players who can handle that pressure of playing for us.

“I think at the minute we don’t have them.”

The defeat comes just days after a fan protest occurred against the ownership outside Oriel Park ahead of their home tie against Shamrock Rovers.

“This probably just accelerates and inflames it. The (players) have to look at themselves and stand up and be counted, and we’ll find that out sooner rather than later.

“They have shown in one-off games, they can do it. But not often enough.”

Since retiring from his playing days in 2006, Magilton has managed Ipswich Town, Queen’s Park Rangers, Melbourne Victory and Northern Ireland’s under-21 side.

However, the 52-year-old admits that his side’s limp defeat– and showing – at Dalymount was one of the worst he has suffered in his career to date.

“It’s not easy to take because are they a reflection of me and my character? I’d like to think not.

“They say the teams reflects the managers – but if that’s me then I’m in a f*cking dark place.

“I’d be looking at myself tonight thinking I’m not who I think I am.

“It’s a tough one – and I appreciate the kindness, you could have been a lot more ruthless.

“But we are where we are, and we’ve got to go again.”